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Pakistan Fails in Bid to Stop SAARC Integration
At the SAARC summit in Kathmandu, a last-minute deal to create a regional electricity grid finally went through on Thursday. This will buttress Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambition for an integrated South Asia to become a viable economic counterweight to China. read more
Jammu & Kashmir Votes With Its Feet, Defies Boycott Call by Separatists
Voters came out in large numbers on Tuesday to vote in the first phase of the state election in Jammu & Kashmir, ignoring calls by separatist leaders for a boycott. The 15 constituencies that went to the polls in the first phase saw a 71.28% turnout, more than a 5% jump over the 2008 figure. This high turnout is being seen as a result of massive mobilisation by parties as well as a desire for change, and for some voters an attempt to stop the BJP from winning. read more
‘Godman’ Rampal Finally Arrested, After High Court Forces Haryana Govt to Act
Haryana Police have finally arrested controversial religious leader Rampal from his ashram in Hisar with the violent standoff ending on Wednesday night. But the two days of confrontation between thousands of Rampal supporters and the police could have been avoided if the state administration had taken action earlier. read more
Punjab Crop Fires Create Haze in Delhi
The choking haze that envelopes Delhi every winter is not just the fallout of Diwali firecrackers or coal-based cooking fires. It is also caused in large part by the burning of crop debris by farmers in the states of Punjab and Haryana that lie north of the capital. read more
Another Bollywood Bastion Falls to Women
It is appalling that women were banned from being employed as make-up artists in Bollywood for the past 59 years; it is even more appalling that one woman’s 5-year battle to end this discrimination took her all the way to the Supreme Court. According to the Indian Express, the country's top court has now ruled that the ban is gender biased and should end. read more
Air Pollution Halves India’s Grain Production
Air pollution seems to have a direct, negative impact on grain production in India, a study has warned, with projected yields falling by half due to recent increases in smog. According to The Guardian, the finding has implications for global food security as India is a major rice exporter. read more
Terror Hits Wagah Border – Intelligence Sharing Needed
The Wagah border crossing between India and Pakistan is the venue of a daily military ritual at dusk that is a spectacle of chest-thumping nationalism. Yet that changed last Sunday with a suicide attack on the Pakistani side that killed 59 people. The time has now come for intelligence sharing between India and Pakistan to face such terror attacks that target both countries. read more
Reuters: India Uncovers Plot to Assassinate Bangladeshi PM
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has uncovered an alleged plot by banned Bangladeshi militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and carry out a coup, according to Reuters. For India, these latest revelations are embarrassing as they show just how effortlessly Bangladeshi militants are using the Indian state of West Bengal as a safe haven. read more
Black Money Trail: Govt Discloses 3 Names With Swiss Accounts
The government has disclosed to the Supreme Court the names of three persons who allegedly deposited black money abroad. According to Hindustan Times, the three individuals mentioned in the affidavit submitted on Monday are: former Dabur executive Pradip Burman, bullion trader and jeweller Pankaj Chimanlal Lodhia and Goa miner Radha S Timblo. No politician’s name has been revealed so far in an issue that has gripped the political class and media. read more
India Not Equipped to Handle Ebola
As India faces the prospect of the global Ebola epidemic eventually arriving here, the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has issued guidelines to stop the entry and spread of the disease. But as the Indian Express reports, there is a very real shortage of the protective equipment, testing labs and professional training required to face the threat. read more
Reform 06: Diesel Prices Deregulated Finally
The government has lifted state control on diesel prices, in a long-awaited move that economists say will help encourage investment in the country’s struggling fuel industry and reduce the fiscal deficit. The decision to allow state-run fuel retailers to peg the price of diesel to global market rates comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks to streamline the bureaucracy and make the economy more attractive to international investors. read more
Racist Attacks on the Rise in Our Cities
A startling upsurge in racial attacks has been reported in the past week from Delhi and Bangalore. The targets have been people from north-eastern states and from Africa, with locals attacking them as outsiders. This trend once again exposes Indian society as being inherently racist. According to The Economic Times, “It comes naturally to Indians to practise vicious racism at home and still wax outraged when Indians abroad come up against racial discrimination.” read more
India Launches Air Quality Index, But Tackling Pollution Needs Tough Choices
The environment ministry has launched a National Air Quality Index that will give real-time information of air quality in 66 cities, to put pressure on local authorities to take concrete steps to reduce pollution. But producing credible pollution data is easier said than done. read more
Reform 05: PM Ends ‘Inspector Raj’ in Labour, But Big Reforms Still Awaited
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has unveiled measures to end ‘Inspector Raj’ (rule by inspectors) in labour, with a system that is expected to curb labour inspectors’ discretion and provide a single window compliance process for companies. Under the present rules factories are allegedly selected arbitrarily for inspection by government departments, leading to complaints of harassment of the owners. read more
Indian and Pakistani Share Nobel Peace Prize, Both Govts Need to Talk Peace Too
The Nobel Prize committee delivered some good news to the Indian subcontinent on Friday when it awarded the 2014 Peace Prize to children’s rights activists Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai. Satyarthi dedicated the award to children in slavery, pledging to "join hands" with Malala at a time when India and Pakistan are exchanging fire along the border. The Nobel Prize announcement may just give both countries the space required to de-escalate the violence. read more
Shortage Looms of Critical HIV Medicine Due to Red Tape
According to a media report, India could run out of an important medicine in the country’s free HIV/AIDS drugs programme by October 21 due to bureaucratic bungling, leaving more than 150,000 patients without life-saving drugs for about a month. Missed dosages for long durations could increase drug resistance and result in a faster spread of the virus. read more